Human Rights & Multi-Stakeholder Governance: ICANN Experience

Agenda

An examination of the multi-stakeholder Internet governance model and its treatment of and impact on human rights guarantees from the perspective of different stakeholders. In particular, panelists will examine ICANN's handling of human rights in its policies and procedures.

The panel will explore the following questions in detail:

* How does the multi-stakeholder governance model further human rights goals and how does it fall short in safeguarding human rights concerns? * Can the existing private-sector led multi-stakeholder governance model adequately protect human rights such as free expression, privacy and due process of law?

* How does ICANN handle human rights considerations in its policy process?

* What is ICANN's responsibility to human rights, or as a private California corporation does ICANN have no duty to protect human rights?

* What is the role of different stakeholders including governments, civil society, and private sector business to protect human rights in ICANN policies?

* How do other international governance institutions deal with human rights concerns and what can be learned from them?